Many of our clients are visitors to New York City for their wedding, so their whole trip is a big part of the event that is their wedding. They are often looking for suggestions of what to do on the day to make it really special, and perhaps something that has that uniquely “NYC” feel. What you do on your wedding day in New York very much depends on who you have with you. An elopement will feel very different to a group of twenty or so that might include three generations of family members, especially if children are coming along. Everyone has different interests and passions, so it does all depend on what you like, but here are a few of my ideas.
Eat!
This one is quite obvious; lots of couples celebrate by eating a fabulous meal on their wedding day. There are so many incredible restaurants to choose from in New York. You could go to a classic New York institution of a restaurant, such as one of the steakhouses that has been well established for decades, or maybe get takeout for a picnic from somewhere made famous by film or TV, like Katz’s Deli or Magnolia Bakery. Or perhaps if a certain cuisine means something to you due to your heritage or just personal taste, you are very likely to find a high quality example of it in New York!
Drink!
It’s fair to say that New York does have quite a vast choice of bars! Some of them are very unique to NYC, such as speakeasies which are full of character, places with incredible views, as well as bars and taverns with historical significance. So, whatever your interest there will be something for you in New York.
Take a tour!
This is a nice thing to do with a small group, especially if many of your guests haven’t visited New York before. You can rent a vintage trolley bus or minibus to take your group all over New York City, and you can get out along the way to take photos. You could also take a drink or two along with you in the bus to make it a party on wheels! If it’s just the two of you, you could also rent a vintage cab to take you to all the major photo locations, or even to the off-the-beaten-track spots such as awesome street art or great views of the rivers.
Visit the Statue of Liberty!
You can either take a tour involving getting off at Liberty Island to see her up close, or you could just sail past her, either on the free Staten Island Ferry or on a river cruise. You can cruise the Hudson in the day time, or take an evening dinner cruise, which is very popular with many of our couples.
See a show!
This could be seeing a Broadway show, which some of our couples have done in the past – some get changed first and some just go in their wedding attire. Or, you could see something truly unique to New York City that will stand out in your memories for many years to come. Examples of incredible immersive theater performances that I have experienced in the past are Sleep No More and Then She Fell; both of which I highly recommend. There is also a wide choice of off-Broadway plays that could turn out to be very meaningful to you as a couple, so check out what’s on while you’re in town.
Visit a Museum!
This one might be a fun thing to do on your wedding day, but also might be more appropriate to do maybe as the daytime part of your bachelor or bachelorette party with your guests in advance of the wedding. It all depends on your party, and what you decide to wear. Some of our couples who come with kids have gone to somewhere like Madame Tussauds, and the Met is really close by – right there in Central Park, and there are many striking museums along Fifth Avenue which runs alongside Central Park. Wedding photos in these places will be quite striking – especially by the large dinosaur bones of the Natural History Museum, in the lobby of the Guggenheim or from the rooftop café of the Met, which overlooks Central Park and have a view all the way to the tall buildings of Central Park South.
Enjoy the Parks!
I’m biased on this one, and my love for Central Park is plain to see, but there are lots of other beautiful parks in New York City. If you choose a reception location close to another park then that’s a great opportunity to take some photos in another NYC park besides Central Park, or even *gasps* to get married in another park! The Highline is a unique and cool park, but photos there never look great in my opinion and there’s not much space (on account of it being an old railway line!). Bryant Park is right next to the stunning New York Library and has views of the Empire State Building. Prospect Park is a popular choice for weddings and has striking wide open spaces. Fort Tryon Park is lovely and peaceful and has stunning views of the Hudson River.
Go to the Beach!
If you like a rollercoaster or a hot dog or just the sea and sand then a trip out to Coney Island might be a great thing to do on your wedding day. You’d need to dress appropriately though if you did intend going on some of the rides at the amusement park or walking along the beach or boardwalk. Again, photos here would be amazing, but it is quite a long subway ride out from Central Park.
See the View from a High Building!
Quite a popular choice for newlyweds is to take a few photos from one of the several view points on top of a New York skyscraper. The Empire State is a popular one. One World Observatory has some incredible views. My favorite would probably be The Top of the Rock, but that’s partly because you can see Central Park from there!
I wrote another post with some suggestions of what to do on your wedding day in New York City a while back, and this is just an update of that in way. If you would like me to help you with planning your own Central Park wedding or elopement, whether you’re from near or far, visit our website. Keep updated with our news and see lots of beautiful photos, “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and follow us on Pinterest. I’d love to hear out-of-the-ordinary suggestions from anyone else about what to do if you’re getting married in New York – either for an elopement or for a small group.